OKLAHOMA CITY – In an early “Fight of the Night” candidate, Ryan Couture edged former EliteXC welterweight champion K.J. Noons in a bout that left both making a case for a spot on the UFC roster – and some MMA pundits scratching their head.

The lightweight bout capped off the preliminary card of the “Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine” event at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City – the promotion’s final show. It aired on Showtime Extreme ahead of a main card on Showtime.

Noons took the center as the fight opened while Couture circled right and looked for opportunities to push inside. In a pattern that would be seen throughout the fight, Noons looked to box from the outside, and Couture countered by attacking the legs and using a jab as his opponent brought several stinging uppercuts. Noons’ comfort level rose visibly as the round progressed, and let his hands hang low while keeping Couture from tying up the action on the feet. Couture was game in answering with counter strikes, but it was Noons who looked more comfortable and effective.

Noons went to work with straight rights and well-timed uppercuts in the second frame, and his movement made it impossible for Couture to work inside. Forced to settle into Noons’ pace, Couture began to struggle as time wore on. An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on Noons’ head, and the pace quickly picked up as he seemed to realize the potential for a blood stoppage. Instead, he began to land frequently with crisp shots on the feet, and the wound did not require a doctor’s inspection.

Couture was visibly wobbled as Noons teed off with a barrage of hooks, uppercuts and knees. To his credit, Couture weathered the storm and seemed to be the fresher fighter as the entertaining round came to a close.

Both fighters appeared fresh enough to open the third frame and each went right back to work with their prescribed strategies.

Couture got deep on a single-leg takedown 90 seconds into the round, but Noons turned and scrambled away, refusing to go to the floor. With Couture unable to score the takedown, he was forced again to settle into Noons’ world. Couture used kicks to land with some effectiveness, but Noon’s handiwork, especially to the body, was scoring with the most frequency. Still, Couture pushed forward until the final bell. Noons was always there to land counter shots in the fun scrap, but there was a feeling that he may have let a finish slip through his hands. That would ultimately prove very problematic. Both fighters threw their hands up in celebration at the final bell, but it was Couture who was handed a split-decision victory with scores of 29-28, 27-30 and 29-28

Final statistics from the bout showed Noons held an 84-53 edge in total strikes landed, which inluded an 80-15 edge in arm strikes. Couture, who was 0-for-3 on takedown attempts, did hold a 38-3 edge in leg strikes.

With the result, Couture (6-1 MMA, 6-1 SF) closes out his time in the promotion with a four-fight win streak. Noons (11-6 MMA, 3-4 SF) falls to 1-4 in his final five Strikefroce fights, but his entertaining style may earn him a ticket to the UFC, especially when considering UFC President Dana White took to Twitter to voice his displeasure at the result.

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